I guess it was ok - i didn't even blog about it.
I'm done with the first round of chemo - had the balance of it on black friday, and then went shopping.
only bad effects, so far, seem to be that my arm is sore from the IV's of chemicals (may have to let them do it on the right arm next time)... and a bit of queasiness.
not too bad.
1 round down, 3 to go.
Monday, November 28, 2011
It's a Conspiracy
That's the only possible explanation.
I lead a relatively invisible life. really, i do. i didn't evern think anyone ever read my blog.
apparently, i was wrong.
on all counts.
and so many lovely people have stopped by here, or sent me messages.......
and sent me cards.
every day. cards. in the mail.
so if you sent one, you should see it here - and i thank you, for reminding me that people care.
it helps.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Chemo - Round 1 Part 1
and ya know? it wasn't so bad. slow, yes. boring, yes.
we got started an hour late, that i was just sitting around, because they had to do all the record keeping for the clinical trial - i qualified, and was randomized into the group that DOES get the additional drug.
an hour of fluids.
then anti-nausea drugs
then gemzar
then cisplatin
then avastin, with more fluids.
by the time i got done, they had pumped 3 liters of fluids into me.
that's in addition to the 2 liters or so that i had been drinking all day, because they keep telling you that you have to drink a LOT of fluids to flush it all out of your system and protect your kidneys.
and in the middle of all these fluids, they give me lasix.
it's a diuretic.
seriously? like i didn't already have to pee every 12 minutes??
but it's ok. so far, i don't feel any different, though we'll see how it goes over the next couple of days.
and i have round 1 part 2 next friday.
with any luck, it'll be as much a non-event as today was..... i hope.
if you count bags of drugs, i'm 3/16's of the way through.
that's not bad.
we got started an hour late, that i was just sitting around, because they had to do all the record keeping for the clinical trial - i qualified, and was randomized into the group that DOES get the additional drug.
an hour of fluids.
then anti-nausea drugs
then gemzar
then cisplatin
then avastin, with more fluids.
by the time i got done, they had pumped 3 liters of fluids into me.
that's in addition to the 2 liters or so that i had been drinking all day, because they keep telling you that you have to drink a LOT of fluids to flush it all out of your system and protect your kidneys.
and in the middle of all these fluids, they give me lasix.
it's a diuretic.
seriously? like i didn't already have to pee every 12 minutes??
but it's ok. so far, i don't feel any different, though we'll see how it goes over the next couple of days.
and i have round 1 part 2 next friday.
with any luck, it'll be as much a non-event as today was..... i hope.
if you count bags of drugs, i'm 3/16's of the way through.
that's not bad.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
act 2 in this surreal play...
ok. 2 days till chemo. 36 hours or so, actually.
thursday morning, i'll show up at the nice oncology alliance, and let them plug me in. saline, to flush the kidneys. some meds to kill the nausea. hopefully, no puking. an hour of cisplatin. that's the heavy metal one. makes everything taste metallic. then 1/2 hour of gemzar. that one's the easy one, or so they tell me.
then, if i'm randomized into that 'arm', another 90 minutes of avastin, to keep the tumors that don't actually exist from growing a circulation (read blood vessels) network.
it'll be late afternoon before i'm done.
and the go home, and go back to work the next day, as though i'm not waiting for my entire body to explode from all the chemicals.
the bills are enough to make you puke.... you get sort of fatalistic about this stuff - the 5 days in the hospital was almost 56 grand. the surgery (as a separate line item) was another 12 grand and change.
daily x-rays, 41 bucks a pop.
shoot, i definitely picked the wrong career path!
but so far, i'm ok. gained back what i lost in the hospital, weight wise.....
prescriptions filled, and ready to be needed. let's hope i don't need 'em!
with me luck, if you're reading this far......
thursday morning, i'll show up at the nice oncology alliance, and let them plug me in. saline, to flush the kidneys. some meds to kill the nausea. hopefully, no puking. an hour of cisplatin. that's the heavy metal one. makes everything taste metallic. then 1/2 hour of gemzar. that one's the easy one, or so they tell me.
then, if i'm randomized into that 'arm', another 90 minutes of avastin, to keep the tumors that don't actually exist from growing a circulation (read blood vessels) network.
it'll be late afternoon before i'm done.
and the go home, and go back to work the next day, as though i'm not waiting for my entire body to explode from all the chemicals.
the bills are enough to make you puke.... you get sort of fatalistic about this stuff - the 5 days in the hospital was almost 56 grand. the surgery (as a separate line item) was another 12 grand and change.
daily x-rays, 41 bucks a pop.
shoot, i definitely picked the wrong career path!
but so far, i'm ok. gained back what i lost in the hospital, weight wise.....
prescriptions filled, and ready to be needed. let's hope i don't need 'em!
with me luck, if you're reading this far......
Monday, November 7, 2011
a giftcard for my nook?
I’m entering to win a $100 BN gift card from Cheap e-Reads, my favorite site for FREE and CHEAP nook books! You can enter to win here: http://wp.me/p1GUx8-W3
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Updates
Ok - so today, I had my follow up with the surgeon. I actually started working again this past Monday, but working from home - things like the nearly hour long drive each way are still problematic.
so according to my surgeon - my oxygen levels are at 97-98%, which is quite good. the incisions are healing nicely, which is also good. the remaining lobe of the lung has expanded to nearly the full size already, which is also good.
and there is this ring of metal clips, which are apparently to assist when i get to the radiation for the chest wall involvement.
so all in all, it's all good. he says i'm doing better than many patients at this point in the post-surgical timeline, and it's all good.
and unless i have any issues with the continued healing of the incisions (which can be affected by the chemo), he doesn't need to see me anymore.
next stop, oncologist on the 15th.
so according to my surgeon - my oxygen levels are at 97-98%, which is quite good. the incisions are healing nicely, which is also good. the remaining lobe of the lung has expanded to nearly the full size already, which is also good.
and there is this ring of metal clips, which are apparently to assist when i get to the radiation for the chest wall involvement.
so all in all, it's all good. he says i'm doing better than many patients at this point in the post-surgical timeline, and it's all good.
and unless i have any issues with the continued healing of the incisions (which can be affected by the chemo), he doesn't need to see me anymore.
next stop, oncologist on the 15th.
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